6. First Day Training

Early in the morning, before the first rays of the sun had begun to pierce the cool, dark night, Liam bounced into Avla's room with an energy that belied the hour. His face flushed with excitement, his eyes wide with anticipation, his voice filled with urgency.

"Avla, Avla, wake up! It's training time, and you've overslept just like me!" he exclaimed, jumping onto her bed and shaking her awake.

Avla, still caught in the tendrils of sleep, blinked and looked at him. Her mind was slow to catch up, her body reluctant to respond.

But as she looked into Liam's eager face, as she took in his tousled hair, his rumpled clothes, his innocent smile, something stirred within her. A feeling that was both new and profound.

She did not realize it yet, but it was a protective urge, a motherly instinct, a deep and abiding connection. She felt a warmth spreading through her chest, a tenderness swelling in her heart, a love blossoming in her soul.

She reached out and ruffled his hair, her touch gen